James PayneJames Payne has the backstroke of a chip when holding a driver right-handed.
But when he holds a left-handed driver, he winds up beyond level and rips drives a good distance.
“Lefty is my natural swing, but all my clubs are right-handed,” Payne said. “When I was little, and before I got clubs, and a pro looked at me and said, ‘Your head is steadier from the right side, so hit right-handed.'”
That worked OK for three years when he played for the Copper Basin High School team. During that time, he fell in love with the game and kept playing with limited success.
“I had a longer backswing at one point, but I got the shanks and I kept getting shorter and shorter with the backswing,” Payne said. “I can go farther back, but I hit it all over the place.”